Our mission for our 21st century chat is to create a positive 21st century learning environment for our students by sharing resources and ideas that has worked in our classrooms. Join us every Sunday from 8:00-9:00 PM (EST) on Twitter using the hashtag #21stedchat. All are welcome!
Phil from Northern Virginia. I teach 7th Grade US History II and am the founder of #waledchat which meets Thursday nights at 9pm ET. Excited to learn from you all! #21stedchat
A1: Here's the def: A professional learning community, or PLC, is a group of educators that meets regularly, shares expertise, and works collaboratively to improve teaching skills and the academic performance of students. #21stedchat
A1: PLCs are necessary to allow teachers the opportunity to learn together, examine student work in meaningful and purposeful ways, and collectively see where they need to go as a staff, together #21stedchat
A1: There is strength in numbers. Developing school PLCs allows for collaboration and growth leading to a productive community of learners. Education can no longer take place in silos, it must be a group effort! #21stedchat@ERobbPrincipal@_on11@megan_hacholski@gdorn1
A1. PLCs are group of edus that meets to improve teaching and the academic outcomes of students by sharing expertise regularly and to being accountability partners for each other. #21stedchat
A1: PLCs are great for both work & play! We learn together, laugh together, challenge each other, affirm each other, laugh together, & think together. #21stedchat
A1 I think the purpose is to allow teachers to share their experiences with others so they can implement new ways of teaching in their classrooms that are better for their students #21stedchat
Agree! As educators we should still be striving to learn and improve. PLCs are the foundation of creating this environment of continuous learning. #21stedchat#EDU5720@JMcCarthyEdS
A1: I think that the purpose of PLCs is to facilitate communication and collaboration b/n teachers, particularly those who work with the same kids/in the same subject. As a newer teacher, it is helpful to hear from my more experienced peers.
#21stedchat#edu5720@JMcCarthyEdS
A1: I think that allowing teachers - especially across a grade level - to collaborate helps ensure that students are receiving equitable instruction. #21stedchat
A1: The collaboration is so important. Especially between teachers. They need opportunities to share their awesome ideas, help and support each other! #21stedchat
A1: A PLC is a personalized learning opportunity for educators allowing them to learn from and collaborate industry professionals based on their interests. #UMEdTech#21stedchat
A1: As a student teacher, I've definitely benefitted from PLCs by learning from other teachers and their strategies to ensure student success! #21stedchat
A1: In such a quickly changing society, it is so helpful to collaborate regularly. There is so much to learn from each other and it'd be a waste if we weren't sharing!! #21stedchat
Agreed Ms. Garza! And in my experience, if I am having an issue in the classroom that I stuck on, it is always useful to ask a colleague with fresh eyes for advice on how they've dealt with a similar probem :-) #21stedchat
A1: In such a quickly changing society, it is so helpful to collaborate regularly. There is so much to learn from each other and it'd be a waste if we weren't sharing!! #21stedchat
A1: Reasons for any PLC are the same. To find and share a voice, to be respected, to share ideas and be inspired and challenged.use people to help you reflect on and refine ideas. To find like-minded people and people who differ from you to get diff. perspectives. #21stedchat
A2. PLCs discuss outcomes and improves teacher craft and student learning while colleagues meeting together has no objectives and usually is about day to day stuff. #21stedchat
A2: PLCs have a protocol of how they operate. They are structured and provide roles for members to get the most out of the time for greatest growth opportunities. #21stedchat
A2: That’s a great question! The main difference is Norms, Team Goals, Learning Targets, Analyzing Student Work, Reflection, Assessment, Data Analysis, & Celebrating Small Wins #21stedchat
A2. During a PLC, there are norms and expectations. There are means by which student performance can be discussed (data, assessments) and the topic is focused, meaning the meeting and those in it realizes its/their potential. #21stedchat
A2: The difference between a PLC and colleagues meeting together regularly is the learning that is taking place around topics of interest. #UMEdTech#21stedchat
Hi, I am Shae and this is my first tweetup! I am a new 8th grade US History teacher, and I am curious as to how other teachers are using technology to extend student learning and to eliminate the digital inequities that persist in our society, especially our schools. #21stedchat
A1: Create a culture of collaboration for the purposes of answering--What do we want each student to learn? How will we know when each student has learned it? How will we respond when a student experienced difficulty in learning? Rick Dufour is PLC guru! #21stedchat
A2: PLCs need to have a learning focus. Student work is also important. Teachers need to evaluate student work at a deeper level and discuss the next steps for improvement.#21stedchat
PLCs have a direct focus on education and what is going on in the classroom. They are guided towards the teaching process and student understanding. #21stedchat#edu5720@JMcCarthyEdS
A2: PLCs offer the opportunity for shared responsibility for the nuruting & cultivating of our students' minds & spirits, driven by the same vision, values, & school mission. #21stedchat
It seems that the difference would be in a PLC the goals might be more longterm and holistic, as opposed to "in the moment"and day to day objectives #21stedchat
A2: I feel that PLCs are much more focused and relevant on my specific area of teaching compared to other meetings with colleagues. We all teach the same thing and come together with specific goals in mind.
#21stedchat#edu5720@JMcCarthyEdS
A2: A pre-determined goal, outcome and structure leads to more productivity among the PLC.....but meeting with colleagues regularly is important too! #21stedchat
A2:PLCs typically have a topic of focus that can assist a larger group of Ss. If you meet with colleagues, you may be meeting for a specific S or more refined need for that S.
#21stedchat
A2: The focus of PLC should be strictly on student learning. Discussions should be on data, assessment and instruction with the ultimate goal being student achievement. #21stedchat
A2 PLC's allow for cooperating planning and REFLECTING. Since teachers are reflecting together, they learn the differences from how they were teaching and can see what works better. #21stedchat
The ability of teachers to collaborate in a more focused way--doing a handful of things really well as opposed to stretching ourselves too thin and producing lesser work #21stedchat
A2: From my experience, in a regularly scheduled colleague meeting, teachers co-plan for lessons/assessments don't usually reflect on teacher practice/student performance (this is done in PLC's). #21stedchat
As teachers, we all have such different skills that combing our strengths will only enhance student learning. I am not super detail oriented, so working with colleagues who can grasp my big ideas and put them into reality is beneficial for everyone! #21stedchat
A2: PLN can be people from all over the world, country, diff. job titles, and honestly, my #1, choose to want to talk about topics and share ideas, want advice or give advice. That is a huge difference. #21stedchat
I've bookmarked that! Thanks for sharing. I also read the book by ASCD & found out my admin in charge of PD was also reading it. Facilitating Teacher Teams and Authentic PLCs. Priceless! #21stedchat
how might this look in an elementary school setting? Collaborating across content? looking at achievement within a single classroom? across a single grade? #21stedchat
Sorry for the delayed response. Tweetdeck just dumped all the mentions. Our PLC's are not even close to PD. I can't say much...I get monitored. #21stedchat@Edu_Thompson
In reply to
@LoriStollar, @RittleAshlie, @Edu_Thompson
Hi! I'm sorry I'm late - I just saw a peer tweet that they were here, and I got so excited I had to join! I'm a preservice teacher from Grove City College! #21stedchat
This is an awesome practice. I have had it done a handful of times and loved ever moment of reflection...nothing better than seeing yourself as you are in the moment! #21stedchat
A3: I know that logistics can be difficult -- identifying a common planning time can take serious effort if this is not already in place in your district! #21stedchat
A1: Allowing/promoting communication between professionals! I've heard of schools where parents/students choose their teachers, which determines who gets hired/fired, and this system really destroyed the communication within the school. We need to collaborate!#21stedchat
A3: if you force or highly suggest people to be in one when they don’t really want to, it defeats the purpose. I think it has to happen naturally. I’ve told so many people about my Twitter chats, and a few seemed interested in creating a Twitter account after that. #21stedchat
A2 in a PLC the members are all like minded and have come together around a common cause/idea members are there because they want to be not because they have to be and the group is regulated by norms and shared goals #21stedchat
Challenges of implementing effective PLCs often include time to meet, human and social resources such as trust and relationship, and strategic leadership. #21stedchat
A3a. This year I am lucky enough to work with three separate teachers (including my mentor teacher) that all collaborate and teach Kindergarten. I could imagine in a smaller school that you may be the only teacher in your grade and couldn't collaborate. #21stedchat
A3: Challenges could include lack of time, resources and funds if necessary(sub cost,etc.) Scheduling conflicts is another challenge. #UMEdTech#21stedchat
A2: The term "Community" invites discussion, collaboration, thought, projects, deliberation, debating, etc. A meeting is just a rundown of events, and doesn't spark much thought. A Community is necessary for teacher collaboration and success in the classroom. #21stedchat
Colleagues watching each others' videos and reflecting on practice as a group can be a great tool, too, as you know we practice at the U of M! #21stedchat
A3: Working together can often be difficult, especially when not everyone has the same mindset for moving forward, but when compromise is achieved, there can so much learning and productivity #21stedchat
Effective PLCs can definitely be PD...teachers collaborating and sharing their practice is social capital, a synergy that makes everyone better. #21stedchat
Sorry for the delayed response. Tweetdeck just dumped all the mentions. Our PLC's are not even close to PD. I can't say much...I get monitored. #21stedchat@Edu_Thompson
In reply to
@LoriStollar, @RittleAshlie, @Edu_Thompson
A3: Time; Structuring PLCs for Ts to see benefits & independent paths...understanding they are not designed to be “one size fits all”...grade levels, groups of Ts can designed their PLC time to meet their need #21stedchat
A3: We have district PLCs but because our school is K-12, we follow a different schedule then the other elementary schools. It’s tough to get away for PLCs. Our certified staff at the school is small and spans K-12, so it’s tough to find topics applicable for all Ts. #21stedchat
A3b. I believe in the power of purposeful PLCs. Next school year, I will release students at 2:15 each Wednesday and give my teachers 2:15 - 3:30 for common planning/PLC. Collaboration for student success. #21stedchat
I agree!! Although it may feel like "one more thing on the plate," at times, I know it's a critical piece of our growth & forward-movement. Time is what I struggle with, too! PLCs are worth it, if we decide they are! #21stedchat
A3b...it is a fine balance of tight and loose....providing supports to teacher teams, helping them establish norms, understanding data protocols, but then getting out of their way and let them soar. #21stedchat
A3: Time is one of the biggest challenges, as many have said. Another one is we seem to be fairly good at pulling the data for PLCs, but do we really know what to do with it when we have it? #21stedchat
A3: As a preservice teacher, I haven't experienced this problem yet. But I definitely have seen a lack of it in my high school: Time. Time is the killer of all good things in education. #21stedchat
A3b: build enthusiasm about it instead of forcing. Create norms and model how they should be formed and managed. Criticize privately when norms are broken and celebrate publicly. #21stedchat
We spend so much time discussing the value of building relationships with students. We need to also talk about the value of building relationships with colleagues. school climate matters #21stedchat
A3 trying to force PLCs to happen is a mistake as they need to shape and form organically. Ts need to have support to join but there also must be trust and mutal respect which may not happen if ts are told which groups to join #21stedchat
A3: Encouraging smaller groups, rather than large groups. Meeting with less teachers is much easier, and allows them to get to know each other. After the teachers begin to find time to make this routine, they will be more open to setting aside time for large groups. #21stedchat
Is there a particularly productive way you have used data to further your own instruction? How do you envision a data driven PLC being most effective?
#21stedchat
A3b: Read Learning by Doing (Great Resource). Develop a PLC Advisory/Teacher Committee. Start Slow - You don’t need to become a Model PLC school in the first two years. Use Kotter’s Change Process. Listen to Teacher Concerns and Frustrations. #21stedchat
We have a common task that teachers administer to their students. Every teacher brings their work samples. Our new learning centers around whatever task we gave the students. On time data #21stedchat
I would agree, Jen Dixon. I do, however, question the value of reflection without a second set of eyes. Do you find this practice beneficial to conduct alone? Or do you advocate for a second professional opinion? Like that of a principal or mentor?
#21stedchat
A3b: Read Learning by Doing (Great Resource). Develop a PLC Advisory/Teacher Committee. Start Slow - You don’t need to become a Model PLC school in the first two years. Use Kotter’s Change Process. Listen to Teacher Concerns and Frustrations. #21stedchat
I'm glad they are doing this. Getting used to this is important because I'm thinking egos are less of an issue if we are brought into the profession with this expectation & experience. #21stedchat
Participation in Twitter chats accelerates this mentality and opens doors of conversation cross country that couldn't have happened 5 years ago. I feel like I'm a new teacher again because of the inspiration from others that I may never meet F2F. #21stedchat#122edchat#waledchat
A1: There is strength in numbers. Developing school PLCs allows for collaboration and growth leading to a productive community of learners. Education can no longer take place in silos, it must be a group effort! #21stedchat@ERobbPrincipal@_on11@megan_hacholski@gdorn1
A3b. Got rid of the word fidelity as it’s sure to get an eye roll or two. There needs to be norms and guidelines but the group cannot be too restrictive if the purpose is to grow and change because both need wiggle room for transformative thinking to occur #21stedchat
A3b: Ts role switching, agenda; providing focus each month as a gradual release til Ts design on own Ex: common grading; lesson planning based on data; recent assessment data; discussion of what is working, how do we know? subject unit planning based on data, etc. #21stedchat
Q3A: The challenge I face right now is that my department is incredibly small. As an ELL teacher, I rarely see my colleagues and we have incredibly different jobs. It is difficult to meet, and I feel that I don't 100% with any department.
#21stedchat
A4: As a preservice teacher, I experience a PLC among my peers. Many of our classes focus on discussion. Ts give a prompt or a problem to solve, and then let us discuss. Different answers often come together as large ideas - much more effective than flying solo. #21stedchat
A3: 1. Ts aspirations, Ss needs, school goals need to be realized. 2. Purpose to join that benefits Ss. 3. Democratic participation 4. Empathy 5. Organizational learning not individual learning. 6. Schedule and structure provided by admins. . #21stedchat
A4: We use teacher feedback. We also collect data from student work. Since I am K-2 math regional coach, we evaluate how efficiently students are adding and subtracting. We use the data to look for common trends within the district & region. #21stedchat
A4 Teachers in grade level groups reflect on lessons together and have to fill out a document analyzing what went well and what could have gone better. #21stedchat
A3B: I think that communication is key to making PLCs successful. I need to be better about interacting with my department and developing purposeful meetings with goals and sticking to those.
#21stedchat
Interesting analysis Jennifer. How do you go about assigning competence in your daily practice? How might competence be discussed/tracked in the confines of a PLC? Thoughts? Suggestions?
#21stedchat
A4: I have no idea. Honestly, I couldn’t give you a definition of PLC outside of Twitter because I don’t really think we have one yet. But I could be wrong... I plan on finding out tomorrow, lol!! #21stedchat
A5: Our PLCs became much more effective when we used a consistent structure. Just like students, when procedures are in place everyone knows what to expect. #21stedchat
A4. success cant be quantified in a specific way. In a true PLC ts come together to grow as professionals and impact/influence Ss learning. Ts may have meaning interactions even if there is a lack of data. The quickest way to kill a PLC is collect data about data #21stedchat
A5: I'm a preservice teacher, but based on my experience in high school, it was likely a 3. Teachers dreaded in-service days where they had to meet/discuss - they were very independent. My college experience is a 10, always encouraging us to learn from each other. #21stedchat
A5: I would give mine a 7. Often times we are given little to no say in the items up for discussion in our PLC’s, they are chosen for us due to time mostly. #21stedchat
A4: I am not sure of an answer for this, but teacher’s feedback on the PLC would be helpful for planning the next one! Just like feeling things out in a classroom, you may have to monitor and adjust based on the feedback. #21stedchat
A4: PLCs are a requirement in my district, and all teachers must submit stamped time sheets documenting monthly PLC meetings. I do not feel that there is a lot of oversight regarding whether or not the meetings are effective or productive.
#21stedchat
A5. I would give ours a solid 5. I see ways it can be improved and, most often, I cannot make the PLC to provide an administrator perspective. Going forward, I hope to be present, be active, and help our teachers make a difference. #21stedchat
A5: I would rate mine a 5. There is no consistency. I feel that most of the time our meetings are a means to end and there is no deep consideration of effectiveness. #UMEdTech#21stedchat
A5. I would give ours a solid 5. I see ways it can be improved and, most often, I cannot make the PLC to provide an administrator perspective. Going forward, I hope to be present, be active, and help our teachers make a difference. #21stedchat
#21stedchat My school experience at U of M has been close to a 10. Every single one of my courses has been focused around research, collaboration, and specific feedback/self-reflection in order to be the most effective educators.
A5: The situation at my school is so unique that I don't know how effective it is at other schools. This just makes me realize that I need to be in better touch with what's going on in the schools around me, so if my Ss can transition, I'm more aware of the situation. #21stedchat
Thanks for another great #21stedchat next week "Are we creating a caste system in education or your school - intentionally or unintentionally?" Join us next Sunday at 8 PM ET US
A5: Depends as a Sci department, a 9. We communicate, get things done, share a common and sometimes not so common vision, but with respect. As a school, 3. Communication is a challenge, staff is crabby and turn on each other, especially on those who run things. #21stedchat
A6. The problems I see with PLCs are the problems others see with PLCs. Therefore we, as a Twitter PLC, should continue to have conversations like these to make PLCs better. I said PLC a lot, huh? #21stedchat
A5: From past experience as a student and what teachers have told me, the school would rate at a 6. There can definitely be improvement in the frequency of meeting, but what was discussed was generally beneficial!
#21stedchat
A6: Although it is difficult for me to attend the PLCs, I need to find methods to be more informed of what is going on in elementary schools around me, so I can help my Ss to succeed. I also think it would be beneficial to find a way to do a PLC at our school. #21stedchat
A6: I learned a lot from everyone in this chat, so thank you! I definitely now feel more confident in the fact that PLCs are vital for both teacher and student success.
#21stedchat
A6 there is a broad definition of PLCs. It is often interchangeable with PLN. Creating a clear definition and goals will help bring whatever you call your group together. #21stedchat
